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Fletcher v Thad

Thad is a big slow back with small back instincts....Fletcher is a big power back that plays like one is suppose to....Thad would rather juke a 175 lb cb ...while Mark would choose to run him over....
 
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I watched Thad a little bit in HS including his last state final game. He absolutely dominated

I think when the level of competition rose and he couldn’t rely solely on his size and power and had to really perfect his craft as an rb in college, he didn’t have the work ethic to do so (apparently)
 
DMoney said:
Both are extremely productive Broward backs from big private schools. Both are over 220 pounds. But the similarities end there.

Thad is a basketball player at heart. He doesn’t seem to love football. While he is a smoother, more coordinated runner than Fletcher, he doesn’t work as hard and does not play as physical. Fletcher is bigger than some of our DEs and plays violent. He is also more versatile than Franklin and can do more in the passing game.
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I'm an absolute amateur at HS evals, but from the tape that I've seen, the one thing that really stands out is Fletcher's balance. I've seen the critiques on his top end speed, and Thad didn't have that either, but Fletcher's balance combined with his strength is what makes him an elite prospect.

Top end speed is nice to have, don't get me wrong, but there are several examples in major CFB and the NFL where strength, balance, Football IQ, precision, emotional health, and so on, are actually the ingredients for success in football. If you actually have the ability to take the top off the D, that's awesome, but most plays against decent to good teams don't offer that many opportunities for that. Most opportunities in football come from those things I mentioned.

I really wanted for Thad to succeed, but the player has to want it more than a middle aged fan in the stand and he didn't seem to want it. Let's hope that Fletcher has that dawg in him. It looks like he might.
 
Yall about 7 months too late to ask this question.

Search the boards and see if this topic was brought up BEFORE Thad was a bust here. So the comparison can be made at a similar point in time for both.

At this point, the question is flawed with hindsight.
 
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Probably on par with each other physically.

Where it’s likely Fletcher is better, which will make him a better player is the TNTs: takes no talent.

Nutrition, film-study, finishing every run. Thad probably could have been more consistent there, and it appears that Mark takes pride in these types of things.
 
I see a lot less wiggle and change of direction in Thad than Fletcher.
Thad can be productive but he has to be a bruiser which he does not want to be. One cut and go for Thad
Fletcher can change directions better, has better balance and his first 2 steps are quicker.
 
This question should have been asked BEFORE Thad transferred. You wont know which is an unbiased answer because our fans usually see things thru orange and green lense. When Thad was in high school and had a game televised and some pointed out he ran soft tip toeing thru the hole against a team I think we had another recruit on it (maybe a DB) they were tarred and feathered, lol.. When Thad was first on campus and coaches gave him a direct path to PT, kid had bad attitude, didnt want to practice, slacked at working out with team, walked off field when called out and thought he was still big man on campus. Nesta had to get in his face and call him out. That alone showed he was DOA. He let brown take food off his plate

I havent seen a fullgame of fletcher, or watched him in person so I cant say, cant go off a highlight tape. Not sure about his speed either, he might be big and slow but dont see numbers to say he explosive. The back I liked who looked like complete package was Cedric Baxter

Reminder: This same board said Yearby was better than Cook because Yearby was commit, take these hot takes with ******* boulder of salt :ibis-roflmao-sm3:
 
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Seems like both backs had some tremendous upside coming out of HS. Lets hope that Mark will fulfill his potential, more so than Thad.
 
DMoney said:
Both are extremely productive Broward backs from big private schools. Both are over 220 pounds. But the similarities end there.

Thad is a basketball player at heart. He doesn’t seem to love football. While he is a smoother, more coordinated runner than Fletcher, he doesn’t work as hard and does not play as physical. Fletcher is bigger than some of our DEs and plays violent. He is also more versatile than Franklin and can do more in the passing game.
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Had me at violence.
 
Nmiamicane630 said:
I watched Thad a little bit in HS including his last state final game. He absolutely dominated

I think when the level of competition rose and he couldn’t rely solely on his size and power and had to really perfect his craft as an rb in college, he didn’t have the work ethic to do so (apparently)
Click to expand...
It's interesting that some people have compared Fletcher to Bell.

Le'Veon Bell is exactly who Franklin reminded me of... the Bell we saw after he signed his massive contract with the Jets. A big back that didn't want to get hit anymore and thought he could finesse his way down the field.
 
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Bird4um said:
Let’s hope. I was high on Thad.
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I didn’t care what he did in HS I thought Thad was way to slow. Add in the best rb school in the nation for the past ten years bama didn’t want was a red flag. Don’t like Fletcher but hopes he proves me wrong. He will have huge holes vs trash comp by his soph year here. Next year will be tough again imo but the build is title level in the future
 
Nmiamicane630 said:
I watched Thad a little bit in HS including his last state final game. He absolutely dominated

I think when the level of competition rose and he couldn’t rely solely on his size and power and had to really perfect his craft as an rb in college, he didn’t have the work ethic to do so (apparently)
Click to expand...
He could run away from kids in HS not in college….even if he worked hard he is what he is. Where did he land?
 
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